Welp, there’s no way two ways about it: the Philadelphia 76ers are a bad, bad basketball team.
Now sure, there are plenty of reasons why the team is having issues, as they just can’t seem to get all three of their max players on the court at the same time. Joel Embiid and Paul George began the season on the injury report, Tyrese Maxey landed on the list while “The Process” was still suspended, and just when the trio was able to start a game together, Paul George reaggravated his knee injury, which could keep him out of action for the foreseeable future.
Factor in a putrid 2-12 record and internal issues that required a team meeting just over a month into the 2024-25 NBA season, and you’re left with a team that could have any number of outcomes over the next few months, from firing their head coach, to making huge moves on the trade market, to drafting Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 NBA draft.
And yet, if there’s one silver lining to all of the Sixers’ issues, it has to be the play of Jared McCain, who has transformed himself from a deep reserve to Philadelphia’s new starting two guard – or is he really their point guard? – alongside Maxey. No matter how the next few weeks, the trade deadline, and ultimately the 2024-25 season as a whole shakes out, it’s clear Daryl Morey found a player in McCain outside of the lottery who should play an important role on the team moving forward.
3 reasons 76ers fans should be excited about Jared McCain
1. Jared McCain is a perfect complement to Joel Embiid
What is the ideal player to surround Embiid?
Well, they need to be able to defend, shoot 3s at an efficient clip, and ultimately make quick decisions, be that nailing a catch-and-shoot opportunity from beyond the arc, passing to an open man, or cutting to the basket for an offensive rebound or putback opportunity.
Who does that sound like? Well, that pretty much sounds like McCain, with the added bonus of having an impressively high basketball IQ despite being a college student six months ago.
On the court, McCain’s game is very reminiscent of players like JJ Reddick and Seth Curry, who both excelled next to “The Process.” Sure, shooting 3s at a 40 percent clip is what jumps off the boxscore, which McCain can certainly do, but his movements off the ball really make that happen, as his ability to reposition off ball to become a roaming open outlet option should make him a favorite of Embiid.
Discussing the process of adjusting to playing alongside Embiid, McCain noted that it’s actually easy to work with the seven-time All Star, as his gravity can lead to plenty of open looks.
“Pretty easy playing with him,” McCain told reporters via Jeff Skversky. “You come off the screen & you’re wide open or get him the ball and they double and you’re wide open. It’s pretty simple.”
Factor in some flair screens and even a potential two-man pick-and-roll game with “The Process,” and McCain could really become a force next to the Cameroonian big man moving forward.
2. Jared McCain looks like the star of a “weak” draft class
In his four games as a starter, McCain has been absolutely on fire, nailing at least 42.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and all 13 of his free throws while scoring at least 20 points in each contest.
Those are some impressive marks, right? Well, you don’t know the half of it, as, despite coming off the board at pick 16, McCain has six more 20-point games than any other rookie in this year’s class, with his streak dating all the way back to 11/10 when he first entered the 20 point club against the Charlotte Hornets. Through 14 games of action, McCain ranks first in field goals attempted and made, first in points scored, second in 3-pointers attempted, and sixth in assists among rookies, all the while ranking ninth in minutes per game.
Do you remember what happened the last time the 76ers had a rookie guard blow up from a “poor” draft class right out of the gate? Yeah, he won Rookie of the Year… only to be traded away not too long after in the pursuit of a better-fitting lead guard long-term.
Fortunately for everyone involved, McCain isn’t Michael Carter Williams, and his game is built for the modern NBA, regardless of what role he ends up filling. Whether he settles in as a sixth man coming off the bench, a solid second guard, or a legitimate backcourt star next to Maxey long-term, it’s clear McCain’s play is anything but a flash in a pan that becomes a franchise footnote a few years into the future.
3. Jared McCain hasn’t reached his ceiling as a passer
On the season, McCain’s passing numbers are nothing much to write home about, averaging just 2.7 per game in 22.6 minutes of action a night, but as a starter? McCain has been far more willing to dish the ball out to his fellow teammates, averaging 5.75 per game largely off the strength of a double-digit game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Will McCain close out the year with nearly a half-dozen assists per game? It’s impossible to say, but gosh, wouldn’t that be great? With James Harden in Los Angeles with the Clippers, Ben Simmons technically still in the NBA but not really playing like a former All-Star, and the chances of acquiring a player like Lonzo Ball who can immediately come in and run the show rather unlikely – one can dream – the 76ers really need someone to step up and become their floor general. While Maxey is technically listed as the Sixers’ point guard, he’s only had nine games with double-digit assists games over 315 career games versus one for McCain in only 12 appearances.
If McCain can become a six-assist-per-game player, or better yet, flirt with the career average of the player he clearly models his game after, Steph Curry, at 6.4, it will unlock so many more opportunities for not only the collegiate Dukie but also Maxey as an off-ball two guard, Embiid in the paint, and the rest of the roster too.
The post 76ers’ most pleasant surprise early in 2024-25 season appeared first on ClutchPoints.
